ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Process design (chemical engineering)

Process design is like building a recipe to make something really special. Just like how you follow a recipe to make cookies, chemical engineers use process design to create a plan for making things like medicine or gas.

First, engineers have to think about what they want to make and how much of it they want to make. Then they have to figure out what materials they need (like flour and sugar for cookies) and how much they need.

Next, they design a method to mix all the materials together. This could be done by stirring everything in a bowl or using big machines to mix things in huge tanks. The engineers also have to think about how long to mix everything and at what temperature.

Once everything is mixed, the engineers have to decide how to separate the finished product from the other stuff (like the cookies from the baking sheet). For example, if they're making aspirin, they have to separate the aspirin from all the other chemicals used to make it.

Finally, they have to think about how to package and transport their product. They may use special containers or trucks to safely transport it to its final destination.

Overall, process design is like a big plan for making something cool, like cookies or medicine. It takes lots of thinking and planning to make sure everything is safe and makes the best product possible.